Contact Living Department

By Bryant Stamford

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Regular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. Does this mean that if I
exercise regularly, I can more effectively fight off those nasty upper
respiratory tract infections (better known as the common cold)?

Research has shown that folks who engage in moderate exercise, such as brisk
walking five days a week, demonstrate an enhanced ability to fight off colds.

Exercisers suffered only half as many days of cold infection as those who
were sedentary. These same results have been found in the elderly.

This suggests that a regular program of moderate exercise can bolster the
immune system.

Want to be a runner? Here's how to start

By: BRADLEY J. FIKES

Are you so inspired by the example of fit, well-trained runners that you want
to join the pack? That's a worthy goal. Running is good for your health. It
takes off the pounds, gives the cardiovascular system a workout, and has
psychological benefits. But without a careful plan, good advice and
follow-through, your health could take a hit.

Dr. Joseph Scherger, an active runner who regularly runs the Carlsbad
Marathon, said the keys to success in running are to take things gradually and
to seek advice before starting. Becoming a well-trained runner is a long-term
endeavor.

Tips to get back on the road to fitness

By R.J. Ignelzi

April 6th

"When you're hurting, the natural tendency is to stop all activity or
immobilize the sore or injured area," says Fabio Comana, exercise
physiologist with the San Diego-based American Council on Exercise.
"However, the body is designed to move."

Certain movements and exercise modifications not only can speed healing, but
also let you maintain your fitness while on the mend.

Health and fitness experts recommend the following exercises while nursing
commonly injured body parts. Be sure to consult your health-care professional
before engaging in any rehabilitative exercise program.

The Definition of Interval Training

April 06, 2006

Paul Greer

Interval training is a frequently misunderstood concept. Most coaches use the
terms interval and repetition interchangeably, but they are very different types
of training. A repetition is a single unit of running. An interval is the
recovery period that follows individual bouts of running.

In repetition training, the objective is to run specific distances at race
pace with a relatively complete recovery. With interval training, the goal is to
run specific distances with incomplete recovery so that the athlete trains with
elevated blood lactate.

Get up, get out of bed - Histories

20 August 2005

Richard Lovett

THE five men in the publicity photo are the image of American youth, circa
1966: well groomed, smiling, confident. America was racing for the moon, but
these young men were looking beyond, doing their bit for astronauts in orbiting
space stations and perhaps eventually a trip to Mars.

They had volunteered for what is now known as the Dallas Bed Rest and
Training Study. The goals were twofold: to simulate the effects of
weightlessness on astronauts and to determine how quickly the body recovered
when normal life resumed. As an aside, the scientists who were monitoring the
effects of such slothfulness hoped to find out why hospital patients feel as
weak as kittens after lengthy stays in bed. Speculation at the time focused on
extended inactivity causing blood to pool in the limbs, producing a dizzying
drop in blood pressure when you stood up. But maybe it was something more
insidious, such as changes in the heart or lungs. In 1966, nobody knew.

One of the volunteers was Gregg Hill, a college student with an interest in
exercise physiology. He was also a runner who could do the mile in 4 minutes 45
seconds - admittedly not Olympic standard but no slouch either.

10K TRAINING TIPS

Eileen Jacobs

Mar 29, 2006

Just three more days remain till the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k.

If this is your first 10k walk or run, you might wonder if there is any
important last-minute information you need to know.

This week's expert is Ed Carmines, now in his third term as president of the
Richmond Road Runners Club. An outstanding runner for 20 years with a specialty
in marathons, Carmines organizes and coaches training groups for the club and is
highly regarded as a knowledgeable expert in the sport of running. Training

With the race in a few days, there is no additional training that will
benefit you physically. You need to be careful on your runs and avoid the urge
to go out and try to race a little.

It won't do you any good to train for 10 weeks and then waste energy before
the actual race or run the risk of injury. The goal at this point is to stay
limber and injury-free.